MacBook Air M4 Early 2025: In-Depth Review

Apple's annual refresh of the MacBook Air in 2025 brings the latest M4 chip to this beloved laptop, maintaining its reputation as a sleek, portable workhorse designed primarily for productivity. The new MacBook Air 15 continues to impress with its exceptional battery life and stunning display, though it remains unsuited for intensive gaming.

The MacBook Air's design philosophy focuses on portability and simplicity, making it the ideal laptop for everyday tasks. Whether you're drafting documents, browsing the web, or attending virtual meetings, this MacBook Air is built to handle your needs efficiently and stylishly.

Purchasing Guide

The MacBook Air (M4, Early 2025) is now available, with the 13-inch model starting at $999 and the 15-inch model, which I reviewed, at $1,199. Apple offers various upgrade options, allowing you to customize your laptop. For instance, you can configure a 15-inch MacBook Air with 32GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD for $2,399, catering to those who need more power and storage.

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Design

The MacBook Air epitomizes the modern laptop with its sleek, lightweight design. Weighing just 3.3 pounds, the 15-inch model is remarkably easy to carry. The unibody aluminum chassis is less than half an inch thick, showcasing Apple's commitment to thinness without sacrificing durability. The minimalist design extends to the speakers, cleverly integrated into the hinge, which not only enhances the laptop's clean aesthetic but also improves sound quality by using the lid as a natural amplifier.

The fanless design of the M4 chip contributes to the laptop's seamless look, eliminating the need for air vents and maintaining a sleek profile. The bottom features only four small rubber feet to prevent scratching. The top of the device boasts a comfortable keyboard with deep key travel and a reliable TouchID sensor for swift, secure access. The expansive touchpad offers excellent palm rejection, ensuring smooth navigation during extended use.

The port selection is minimal, with two USB-C ports and a MagSafe connector on the left, and a headphone jack on the right. While the inclusion of a headphone jack is appreciated, the absence of an SD card reader or additional USB-C port on the right might be a drawback for some users.

Display

The MacBook Air's display, while not matching the MacBook Pro's prowess, remains impressive. The 15.3-inch, 1880p screen covers 99% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and 100% of sRGB, offering vibrant colors and decent glare resistance. It achieves a peak brightness of 426 nits, making it suitable for indoor use and most outdoor conditions. While it doesn't feature an OLED panel, the display is more than sufficient for everyday tasks and even casual entertainment, as evidenced by my enjoyable rewatch of The Clone Wars.

Performance

Benchmarking a MacBook can be challenging due to the limited compatibility of standard tests with macOS. However, the MacBook Air's fanless M4 chip is optimized for productivity rather than gaming. In gaming tests, it struggled to maintain playable frame rates in titles like Total War: Warhammer 3 and Assassin's Creed Shadows, underscoring its focus on productivity over gaming.

For everyday tasks, the MacBook Air excels. It effortlessly managed heavy multitasking with 50 Safari tabs and background music, thanks to its 32GB of RAM. The laptop also handled light Photoshop work well, though it faced challenges with more demanding tasks like noise filtering in Lightroom. Its thin and light design, combined with robust performance for daily tasks, makes it an excellent choice for on-the-go productivity.

Battery

Apple claims the MacBook Air can last up to 18 hours streaming video and 15 hours browsing the web. In my testing, it exceeded expectations, lasting 19 hours and 15 minutes playing local video. While this doesn't simulate streaming, it's a testament to the laptop's impressive battery life. During several 4-5 hour work sessions, I found the MacBook Air could go days without needing a charge, making it perfect for travelers and those who value mobility. The included charger, though compact, ensures you can easily top up when necessary.